Lying
by McSexie
Summary: Isabella, a human and vampire hybrid, is a treasured part of the Volturi guard. She is sent out into the human world by Aro to complete her training, despite never truly interacting with humans before...Full Summary inside! BxE
1. Preface

_**Isabella, a human and vampire hybrid, is a treasured part of the Volturi guard. She is sent out into the human world by Aro to complete her training, despite never truly interacting with humans before. To keep up the pretense she must lie, but lies have a way of catching up to you...especially in the form of Edward Cullen. EdwardxBella**_

**I do not own Twilight…although I would like to be the recipient of a few reviews!**

**Thanks so much to the PTB betas that helped with my comma issues, and helped make this opening so much better!**

**Preface**

Renée Higgenbotham cradled the towel beside her as she rested from her recent bout of puking. Her grandmother screamed at her through the door in Italian, begging for her to tell her what was wrong. That was the problem. What she thought was wrong couldn't even be a possibility.

"Renée, please open the door for me." The soft voice echoed through the tiny bathroom that Renée had locked herself into. She couldn't let him in, not with the threat of vomit looming over her head.

"Damn it, Charlie. I need you to go away!" She didn't even hear him break the lock as she clutched for the toilet, ridding herself of nothing but bile.

"Shit, Renee, will you just tell me what's wrong? I hate seeing you sick!" His blood red eyes were frantic when she finally stopped to look over at him. She still cringed every time she focused on his vampire eyes, which were so different from the chocolate brown they had once been.

"I'm scared to tell you." For the moment Renée felt her stomach calm, no longer cramping and fighting to rid itself of nothing, and she deemed it safe to stand up from the bathroom floor.

"Why?"

"Because the idea of what I think it could be just seems impossible." She stepped around him to shut the bathroom light off and enter the hall. Her grandmother was in her usual spot in front of the television, glued to the newest object that they were presenting for sale. Though Renée only spoke broken Italian, she had decided on the sudden departure from Forks to her family's homeland, bunking down with her grandmother in Volterra.

"Where are you going?"

"We're going to the roof so that Nana doesn't wonder why there is suddenly a raging vampire in her apartment." She had only learned about vampires her first month in Volterra, accidently coming across Charlie when she had gone out in the middle of the night to get some air.

"Renée, you are seriously freaking me out." He followed her closely out of the apartment and down the hall towards the roof access. "You need to stop and breathe."

"Okay, stay right here." She pointed to the farthest part of the roof that they had entered and shuffled over to the other corner. "I'm staying here. Now just get over there and I promise I'll tell you what's going on."

"Okay." Charlie seemed hesitant but moved to where she had directed him before she could even blink. Thankfully, the nausea was gone, but she was having trouble stifling her fear.

"I think I might be pregnant." Her sentence ended in a nearly inaudible whisper, but Charlie heard it, and he was staring openly at her. Renée felt herself shaking; children had never been a part of her plan, and she had by no means thought that one with Charlie was a possibility.

"Pregnant?" Charlie's voice was clear in the night air. His red eyes were bright even in the darkness, and his mouth was gaping.

"I have no idea how it's even possible, but all the signs are there." Renée couldn't look at him anymore, so she lowered her eyes from his face to the cement floor of the rooftop.

"But we only slept together for the first time two weeks ago." Charlie was no longer standing where she had ordered him to, moving in a flash to stand before her.

"That's why I'm freaking out!" She gripped for the soft sweater she wore and pulled it up over her stomach, revealing a rather prominent bulge. "It's already showing."

"Our baby…" Charlie murmured low enough that she could barely hear him, but she felt his freezing fingers tentatively touch the firm bump in her abdomen. "Maybe it's not impossible."

"What are you talking about?"

"What if we can make it work? A baby is something I never let myself believe in, but it's here." He pressed his whole hand over the bump, his red eyes meeting Renée's frantic blue ones. "I'll leave the Volturi behind, and we can head back to Forks, for all I care! But I'll have you and maybe even a little carbon copy with your looks and my…well, my-"

"It can have your brown eyes," Renée cut him off, getting lost in thoughts of a small pale baby with Charlie's former chocolate brown eyes.

"We can make it work," Charlie reiterated, hope present in his bright eyes.

"It won't be easy, though! It's not going to be completely human, like any other baby, and how exactly do I explain coming home to Forks after only a few months with a baby belly?" She cringed at the thought of her stomach expanding, and though it was already showing, it would get so much bigger and worse.

"We don't need to go to Forks. We can go wherever; it doesn't exactly matter at the moment to me." Charlie's face split into a huge grin, his white teeth clear in the night.

"Maybe it's not going to be impossible, but it won't be as easy as you're making it seem," Renée whispered.

"I know." Charlie was still grinning hugely as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"We'll go somewhere and figure it out," Renée relented, giving in to the possibility of Charlie breaking free from the Volturi and raising their child together. It was an insane dream, but it was the only one she allowed herself to cling to at the moment. If it was at all possible, Charlie managed to grin even wider and scooped her into a carefully balanced hug.

A week went by after their conversation on the roof, and Renée was finding it impossible to hide her expanding waistline. Three inches had been added to her belly, and she was struggling to keep it a secret from her grandmother's watchful eye.

"What is with the too large clothes, Renée?" Her grandmother's thickly accented voice rang out even from her spot in front of the television.

"I need to do my laundry." It was a lame excuse but it seemed to appease the old woman, plus it gave Renée a chance to leave the cramped apartment. She pulled together the dirty clothes she had left neglected and headed out, waving absentmindedly to the couch occupant that was her Nana.

Sadly, the laundry only gave her a few hours of freedom from her grandmother's nagging, though she did take extra time to fold every last article of clothing right down to her socks. Even when the folding was done, Renée decided to delay the inevitable by leisurely flipping through the out-dated magazines that cluttered one of the laundry room tables. She tossed the magazines aside and finally made her way back to her Nana's with her freshly clean clothes in tow.

"Renée, where have you been? That demonio came looking for you." Renée's Nana was an extremely superstitious woman, a devout Catholic, unlike Renée's current dalliance with being a Wiccan. Different from the rest of her family, Renée liked to consider herself a free spirit, though some would call her flighty.

"He is not a demon, Nana!" She hadn't spoken to Charlie since the morning after the rooftop, when she had come clean about her pregnancy. He had gone back to the Volturi to find a way out permanently. "Did he say anything?"

"No." Renée left her Nana behind in her usual spot to put away her laundry. She couldn't hide the fact that she was seriously disappointed in missing Charlie, and her stomach was twisting painfully. Putting away the clothes was easy, but figuring out what else to do for the day was hard. Prowling around the apartment wasn't really an option, since the slightest movement sometimes made her queasy, plus her Nana was a little too sharp-eyed. Renée was shocked enough that she had even managed to hide the growth of her stomach from the little woman. No matter what she decided on doing, staying cramped inside the apartment just wasn't a possibility.

"Where are you going now?"

"Out for a walk or something. You know I don't like being cooped up for too long." She left her Nana behind for the second time that day, eager to find anything in Volterra that would keep her busy. Locking the door behind her, she almost missed the small envelope tucked beside it completely.

_Renée_ was scribbled hastily across the crisp white front in Charlie's unmistakable chicken scratch. It was nice to know that so small an aspect of him had stayed the same despite being changed into a vampire. She slid her finger through the back closure, breaking the glue seal and pulling out the equally hasty note that was tucked inside.

_Renée,_

_I need to talk to you as soon as possible. I didn't want to leave this note with your Nana considering how much you talk about her snooping. Can you meet me at the fountain near the clock tower? Pack a bag, it's very important. I'll be there as soon as I can without drawing too much attention._

_-Charlie_

"Back so soon?" Nana called cheekily from her couch as Renée reentered the apartment. She simply nodded and headed straight back towards her room, closing the door against the noises coming from the television. Charlie had said to pack, but she wasn't exactly sure what she would need, and considering how ridiculously fast she was growing, she feared that most of her clothes wouldn't fit in the span of a week.

Her backpack was already lying to the side of the bed within her reach when she piled her basic necessities on the comforter. The backpack was a decent size; she had used it throughout school and had brought it along with her when she came to Italy. All her clothes were freshly clean, so she chose those most likely to accommodate her stretching stomach and tossed them inside the bag. Anything else she needed she could pick up on her way to the fountain.

"I'm heading out for a little while. I'll try not to make too much noise if you're asleep when I get back." Her wallet and keys were the last things she tossed inside her bag before zipping it up. She didn't know what to expect from Charlie, but she was hoping for some sort of good news.

"Where are you going?" She turned to face her Nana, unsure exactly when she would see her again. In truth, Renée looked more like her Nana than her mother. Her height, bone structure, and hair color, she had gotten from the small Italian woman. But her eyes and sense of adventure, or her need to move from place to place, was from her father.

"I'm going to meet with Charlie. We have a few things we need to talk about."

"Alone? No, don't go alone. I'll go with you, just don't go by yourself." Renée was shocked by the sincere panic in her Nana's words and eyes. She seemed genuinely distressed over Renée meeting with Charlie. Though she had always been hesitant about Charlie-who always strictly wore dark sunglasses when faced with the woman calling him a demon and such-she had never shown true fear, just anxiety or a natural hesitancy around him, something Renée seemed to lack. She had never really been afraid of what Charlie was; it fascinated her rather than repelling her. Apparently, she lacked the proper flight instincts instilled in a human from birth when facing a predator.

"Don't worry about me, Nana. I'll be back sometime soon." Though she rarely ever did it, she leaned into to hug the woman before leaving the apartment. The hallway was quiet as she made her way down the stairs and into the bright sunshine of the day.

"Where are you, Charlie?" Renée sat in the newly clouded day, wanting to tuck her legs up underneath her but not having the proper room. Though the chill from the water seeped through her clothes, sitting on the fountain wasn't too bad. Over the past hour, the sun had been covered by thick clouds ranging from beautiful fluffy white to a threatening gray.

At first, she had passed the time by sorting through her simple purchases of deodorant, tooth paste, and a better hair brush, but those were now long packed away, leaving her with nothing to really do but to enjoy the lessening sunshine.

"Renée," a voice to her left called out though it seemed that only she could hear it. She turned towards the voice and smiled brightly, eyeing Charlie's permanently young face in the shadows. "Stay there, you're surrounded by sun, I need you to stay in it."

"What?"

"Just please, no matter what you see, stay in the sun or what's left of it." She nodded in confusion, unsure of what exactly he was trying to do. Her eyes were a tad bit too weak to catch the fast movements of the tiny girl and two grown men. The growling caught her attention, bringing her to her feet; her heart rate sped up so suddenly she felt dizzy. Something was wrong.

"Charlie?" She didn't get a response but felt a familiar cold hand rest along her cheek, calming her heart easily. But the way the hand traveled down to grip her shoulder like a claw was nothing like Charlie, sending her eyes crashing open to level with the grown man towering over her. Unbeknownst to her, she had stepped far enough away from the light that he was able to approach her, his skin and eyes so eerily like Charlie's. Her urge to run finally kicked in; fear sent goose bumps up her arm as she struggled to get away.

"Knock it off." His growl brought her protests to a stop, leaving her to search the shadows for any sign of Charlie or the other man and girl.

"I won't go, damn it!" she screeched, louder then she had ever done before, and prayed for any of the few humans surrounding them to look up. No one seemed to really notice as he dragged her under the shadows in the blink of an eye, leaving her backpack and small shopping bag behind.

"Oh, Felix, you brought me a present!" Though she had tried her hardest to break free, the man's crushing hand had brought an easy end to her struggles. Renée tried to comprehend the huge room they had entered and the large group, of what she believed to be vampires, waiting there. The three men in the forefront of the room caught her attention though, so different from some of those who surrounded them. From their milky eyes to the odd shade of their skin, they looked nothing like the ones who joined them. It sent a fresh chill down Renée's spine when every set of eyes in the room swung towards her.

"Yes, Master, she was the one you saw Charlie thinking about. There's quite a little surprise here, I'm sure." The vampire, Felix, smiled. He was so much larger than her, even larger than all of the vampires in the room.

"So, you're the lovely Renée! I believe you're much more fascinating in person than merely through the thoughts of another." The one vampire smiled brightly down at her before stepping closer and turning towards Felix's slightly bowed frame. "What of Jane and Demetri? Where have they gone?"

"I came after the human, Master, when the sky finally permitted. At the same time, Charles attempted to break free. Jane and Demetri went after him."

"Ah, foolish Charlie. I guess he saw himself protecting his mate." His sad frown was quickly replaced with a smile when he again looked upon Renée, though she kept her eyes glued to the floor where a drain sat just to the left of her foot. "Now, could it possibly be true what I saw in his memories, a baby?" Sharp hisses echoed through the room, whether from anger, glee, or fear, Renée couldn't tell.

"It's impossible, she has to be lying. Such a thing has never happened before, Aro." The white haired vampire's voice reverberated around Renée like nails on a chalkboard, and she felt an urge to run for cover.

"Dear Caius, I saw it all in Charlie's head. From the tone of his thoughts and the scene itself, it's all quite romantic." The vampire Aro smiled, reaching his hand forward shyly, much to the displeasure of those around him. "May I?"

"Uh…o-okay." Renée jumped as his hand clasped hers, his coldness meeting her human warmth. She didn't know exactly what he was doing; he could quite possibly be one of those phone psychics she had called in her teens, much to the annoyance of her parents. She seriously doubted that thought though; the idea of the terrifying Aro wearing a turban and clicking away on the telephone made her bite back an odd chuckle.

"So, you've already grown so much in just the past week since telling him." Aro mused more to himself than to her, but she felt the need to nod. He reached his hand out, before she could even think to stop him, and pressed it against the firm rounding of her stomach. "It is his child, Caius. It seems the impossible has become quite possible."

"Destroy it," Caius growled. His eyes were the same off shade of milky red, but they still carried a whiplash in them, enough to cause Renée to cringe away from his words and cradle her stomach.

"Caius! You speak too soon. Have you even thought of what a possibility this child could pose, a child of both vampire and human capabilities for us to raise, a guard member from birth for us to mold? Caius, what danger do you believe that a simple child will be?" Aro's voice was scathing, even to Renée's ears, but she couldn't possibly stop paying attention. This was her child's life, and though she didn't know exactly what they were speaking of, she had the feeling that it was something she should never overlook.

"What if it cannot be controlled? What if it is something altogether inhuman? It can be a danger to our very existence; we would have to destroy it. Aro, you're taking too much of a chance with our lives."

"I am taking no chance; I am merely asking that we consider it. If the child poses a serious threat, then we can destroy it. But we must stop first and consider the possibilities!" Aro returned to his original seat in the center of the two other vampires.

"Shall we vote?" The one vampire, who had remained quiet throughout the entire squabble between Aro and Caius, piped up, though he did maintain a bored tone.

"A brilliant idea! We'll put this decision to a vote. Do we destroy both the mother and child?" Renée blanched at his words, she knew he had been hinting at it but when he stated them so boldly, she felt the urge to faint, "or do we allow the lovely Renée to continue on with the pregnancy, in hopes that the child may be of some use to us?"

"I vote that we destroy them; the risk is too great." Caius' sneer was aimed at both Aro and Renée, equally.

"Marcus?" Aro turned towards the continuously bored looking member. Renée painfully held her breath as Marcus paused dramatically, before agreeing to let her keep the child. Her breath came out in a rush as Aro made the final decision.

"Then she will continue with the pregnancy, though you will be maintained and monitored by us for the remainder of this ordeal." Aro's eyes, despite their murkiness, were bright as they turned back towards Renée.

"Thank you," Renée whispered, hoping against hope that something good would be able to come out of this. Though for the moment, she couldn't see any positive outcome for herself, she did see the chance that was possibly being provided for her child; a life with the Volturi as a member of their coven. She just wasn't sure whether that was the best chance.

"Heidi. Find Renée a room and make sure that she understands her current boundaries." Renée watched him walk out of the room followed by the other two vampires, Caius and Marcus. She met the red eyes of a female vampire who had departed from the crowd of others, making herself known to Renée. She followed Heidi as she continued on past her, not even pausing to really acknowledge Renée. The room where she was eventually led was larger than her Nana's own apartment, but the rules she was restricted with left her feeling like she was enclosed in a closet.

"You will stay in this room. You cannot wander the corridors alone, which is why your door will be locked. We'll see to any needs you have. It's best that you keep to yourself; for the time being, the outside world doesn't exist." Heidi's words were short as if she was eager to be anywhere else.

"I can't go anywhere?"

"Not if you wish to maintain your life and the life of the child."

"But what if-"

"We'll see to anything you need and when the time comes, we'll take care of the birth." She didn't even pause to explain anything, simply turned away from Renée and headed out of the door they had entered through. She collapsed on the bed when the soft lock of the door engaged. Hopelessness was not something Renée had felt often, but at that moment it was the only thing her mind registered. Charlie was gone, most likely on the run; her Nana had no idea where exactly she was, and her own fate, if not the fate of her child, was nowhere near set in stone.

"Where's Charlie?" Renée asked, glaring at the cup Heidi held out to her. She had been drinking blood every day since she had arrived with Volturi. Though she found it completely disgusting, she couldn't fight the fact that it did make her feel better. Plus, if it helped her baby, she was willing to do anything.

"Renée, just stop asking." Heidi's voice was sharp as Renée finally grabbed a hold of the cup and greedily sucked it down. Her stomach had grown to a ridiculous size in the amount of time she had been with Volturi; it looked as if she was hiding a beach ball under her sweater. Two cracked ribs and a bruised kidney had kept her in the bed for well over a week, and though it stung when she took deep breaths, she felt giddy in knowing that her baby was strong.

"But where is he?" Renée hadn't seen Charlie since the day at the fountain and though Jane and Demetri had returned, he hadn't. "Did they find him? Is he dead?"

"Have you had any more injuries?" Heidi wasn't paying much attention to Renée's questions; she had had to listen to them every time she delivered blood to her.

"No…she seems to calm down a lot when I talk. The blood's made her a hell of a lot stronger, though." Renée sat back on the bed, shifting to find a more comfortable spot for her to rest in.

"You think it will be a girl?"

"I want it to be a girl. It's what Charlie and I talked about," she said.

"What would you name her?"

"Isabella; I've always kind of liked that name." Renée felt tears sting her eyes but fought to keep them back. Heidi simply nodded and turned to leave, heading for the door at a more human pace so that she wouldn't startle Renée too much. "I'm sorry, but can you please just tell me something about Charlie?"

"He managed to get away, which is why Jane and Demetri came back." Renée let out a sigh, barely managing to choke out a thank you before Heidi was gone and the door was locked. Sitting in the room alone, Renée felt more trapped than ever, knowing that Charlie was out there somewhere.

Considering the fact that her door was locked and her ability to actually walk had been limited to painful waddling, staying in bed seemed to be Renée's only option. She'd been confined to the bed for so long that it seemed to have a permanent Renée shaped dent. She rolled over to face the window, wincing when she rested too much weight on one of her injured ribs. Staring at the rolling white clouds that were partially hidden by the thick window hangings, Renée felt herself drifting off to sleep with her hand resting on her stomach.

It seemed that her eyes had been closed for only moments when a sharp cramp brought an abrupt scream from her. The cramp came again but this time it felt like more of a ripping, sending her crashing backwards out of the bed and onto the cold stone floor.

"Renée, what is it? Is it the baby?" Cold hands gripped her easily and lifted her back onto the bed before running smoothly over her hardened stomach. The pain came for a third time, but this time she knew that it was ripping, the slashing pain drawing another long agonized scream from her.

"Something's not right. It shouldn't be like this!" she choked out before another scream. Heidi was standing over her, followed by several other Volturi guards.

"Find Aro if he's not already on his way! The baby's coming out." Renée slowly tried to understand what exactly was happening around her, but she was having trouble focusing on anything but the pain. A rush of dizziness came over her, sending her grasping for anyone's hand though many dodged out of her way. "All of you need to get out. The blood's going to be intense."

"Blood!" Renée's voice screeched as another tearing pain wracked her, though this one seemed so much closer to the surface than the others had been. Her throat was raw from screaming, and the pain was nothing compared to the abrupt rush of liquid out of her stomach. For a moment the pain stopped, leaving her numb everywhere except the pounding in her temples.

"She's out," Heidi whispered to the man who had then entered the room, his presence quieting the few who had chosen to remain inside the room with the blood. Renée wanted to reach out and hold the small bundle that was squirming in Heidi's arms, but her own limbs felt like lead, unwilling to respond to anything she tried to get them to do.

"Oh, she's fabulous. My beautiful little treasure," Aro murmured more to himself than any of the few around him. He had taken the small bundle from Heidi, gazing in abject wonder at the small brown-eyed baby girl within.

"What should we do about Renée?" Heidi asked, gazing over at Renée's wide-eyed but still form.

"She'll be gone soon; we'll let nature take its course and then handle it when it's through. Now what should we name her?" Aro hadn't even looked up from the baby, whose brown eyes were trained on him as well, her mouth open and showing a tiny set of teeth.

"Isabella. She really is beautiful." Heidi had never been fond of children, and from what she could remember of her human life in Germany, she had steered clear from any, but this small child seemed to draw her in with her oddly beautiful eyes, full of so much knowledge despite their age.

"Isabella, my beautiful little treasure." Aro carried the child out of the room, away from the now whimpering Renée. She felt herself lightening as the child moved farther and farther from her, disappearing from her sight completely.

Her beautiful baby girl, her and Charlie's Isabella, the child she had never been given the chance to see. She felt herself drifting, the once warm liquid on her stomach now cool. As her eyes slowly drifted shut, she envisioned a set of warm honey chocolate eyes, the same set that had once belonged to Charlie. Her eyelids finally gave in to their increasing weight as she imagined the warm bundle of Isabella in her unmoving arms. Renée lay on the bed, open and exposed, until Aro finally sent someone to dispose of her body.


	2. Leaving Volterra

**I do not own Twilight…**

_**Chapter 1 Leaving Volterra**_

Two swift knocks echoed into the formerly silent room.

_Go away. Go away. Go away._

Knocking turned into impatient banging and cursing when the door knob refused to budge.

_Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Leave me alone._

The wood of the door wasn't much of a barrier to the one who banged on it. My name echoed from the hall and into the room on a frustrated shriek.

_I can't hear you. I cannot hear you. I. Can. Not. Hear. You._

I just wanted a break—_a five-minute break_—yet already they were pounding at my door. Curling deeper under the covers, I tried to pretend like I couldn't hear the fuming vampire on the other side of my door.

"Isabella Marie!" Well, she definitely wasn't outside anymore, and now I needed yet another door to replace my newly shattered one. Sleep wasn't a possibility anymore, not with Heidi wrenching the covers out of my hands and tossing them clear across the room as I tossed a pillow at her.

"You know, I'm part human, and humans _need_ sleep!" She managed to knock aside the pillow I had tossed at her, leaving my ears open to her complaining.

"I can't believe you're sleeping late _again._ You need to get up and get dressed, no slumming around today even if you don't have training." The last part caught my attention and I finally pulled myself into a sitting position, watching as she pulled one thing after another from my closet.

"No training today?" I couldn't exactly hide the hopeful note in my voice. It was Wednesday, and Wednesday training sessions were with Felix. I cringed just thinking about having to be so close to him and his wandering hands. Heidi completed the look she had put together next to me on the bed, finishing off the pale pink skirt with a cream colored top and cardigan. Apparently she had chosen a new color palette for me, changing from her previous favorites of vibrant purple, pink, and blue to the lighter shades of brown, pink, cream, and white. I didn't know what I liked, really, I was never given the chance to look. Either way, she chose what I wore, not me.

"Nope, Felix and Demetri are currently circling Volterra, checking reports of a vampire seen hunting in close proximity." She turned away from me, guarding the door in case of others walking by, and let me change. This was the familiar routine; from when I was a baby, she always chose what I would wear and then stood nearby while I got ready. "They shouldn't be gone long though; Aro wants everyone in the throne room at dusk."

"Why?" I finished up the outfit with the heels she had chosen and tapped her shoulder so she could turn. While my closet was newly filled with every pale article of clothing in all of Italy, Heidi seemed to be the opposite in her bright yellow and black spotted dress. She pulled my hair back while thinking about what exactly to say, or so I thought.

"It's not my place to say. You'll learn it tonight, but for now maybe you should feed."

"I fed last night with Chelsea and Renata before heading to bed." I couldn't help but laugh slightly when we left my room and the shattered door behind; she really had done a number on the thing. I walked silently beside her, faster than any human, as we entered the office area of the palazzo. "Where's Karen?"

"Talking with Aro momentarily; she should be out soon." She left me standing in the middle of the room, strolling over to the desk that currently belonged to the human and looking at the pictures that littered the heavy wooden surface of the desk.

"Isn't it almost time to hire a new receptionist?" It was over a month past the usual time that we hired a human for, yet Karen was still working. This confused me greatly.

"We're looking, but for now she has her job." When I was very young, I figured out that humans were really temporary here, so getting attached was useless. Ever since, I kept clear of getting to know the few who were allowed to know the secrets of the Volturi.

"What should I do today, since I don't have training?" I couldn't remember ever having a day free of training, at least not since I started training. Training began as soon as I turned ten, teaching me the techniques needed to fight everything from a newborn vampire to an ancient.

"The library?"

"Probably, I think there may be a few books in there that I haven't read yet."

"You need a hobby."

"How am I supposed to have a hobby when I'm confined to the indoors?"

"I don't know…try sewing or knitting." I raised an eyebrow at her suggestion; I didn't think Heidi even knew what a sewing needle was. She shrugged one last time before finally walking away, leaving me to make my way towards the expansive library, a sanctuary of my own since before I could even read.

Apparently I had dozed off on my favorite couch in the library before even finishing a single chapter of the book I had chosen. I was feeling lazy, and it was a rare day when I was actually allowed to _be_ lazy. My feet hung over one arm of the couch and I worked at slipping off the heels that Heidi had gotten me into before getting up and putting the book back. If it couldn't hold my attention enough to keep me awake then it was a safe bet that it was a waste of time.

"I would think—with you being part vampire and all—that you would sleep a little less, but I'm willing to bet that you sleep more than even a human." I cringed as his voice broke the once comfortable silence of the library.

"I thought Aro told you to keep your stalker tendencies in check, Felix." I slipped the book back into its space and turned to face him, perfectly executing the cold shoulder that Heidi was currently teaching me. Felix really was huge, ridiculously so, but he seemed so much bigger now when I stood on my own. For years I hadn't been allowed to be alone with him, Heidi or Renata sitting in on my practice sessions with him.

"It's a work in progress, or so I've read." I couldn't trust a single move he made, so I kept my eyes on him. "You really are so soft." His hand was circling my right wrist before I even registered his words, rubbing gently but stopping me from jerking it out of his grasp.

"Let go of me," I whispered. Considering how big he was, it wouldn't be completely inaccurate to think he would be slow but he was fast, one of the fastest in the guard.

"I don't even think you understand how truly fascinating you are." His fingers made their way from my wrist, slowly massaging their way up to the scarred inside of my elbow, tracing the bite mark that marred the surface. Despite the three years since it had happened, the mark never faded completely; except to the eyes of a human, it was brightly visible against my pale skin. When I was fourteen, Felix had managed to mark me, and I still hated him for it.

"Felix, let me go." I tried to twist my arm out of his grasp, but it was impossible; he was too strong and far too intense for me to break free.

"Do you really hate me, Isabella?" His lips were already pressing to the center of the bite mark, causing me to cringe and try my damnedest to get away. I didn't want to rehash how I had gotten the bite, having worked my mind into forgetting it when Aro barely punished Felix for his actions.

_**Three Years Earlier . . . **_

_I loved training. Learning new ways to protect and defend myself was constantly interesting to me, ever since Aro had first allowed me to begin. At fourteen, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about fighting a vampire. I was happy where I was, soaking up as much knowledge as possible and training as much as I was allowed. Training with my gift of shielding, on the other hand, was anything but fun. _

"_Push it out, Isabella. You have to envelop Felix in it." I listened to Renata's words, spoken in the murmur that was usual for her, and tried to visualize it, picturing it snapping around Felix, cutting him off from the effects of Alec. "Felix?"_

_There was no response from Felix, who stood quietly close to Alec. The mist coming from Alec enclosed his feet; like most practice sessions centering on my gifts, Alec confined his to merely blinding Felix. I blew out a breath and focused more, feeling the elastic tug of my shield as it enveloped Felix; I knew I had finally succeeded._

"_Felix?" Renata repeated._

"_It worked," Felix answered as the mist from Alec's gift retracted. _

"_All done for the day, you have practice tomorrow morning with Demetri." I nodded towards Renata and relaxed my shield. Alec was already long gone, on his way to find Jane, and Renata also exited the room, leaving me alone with Felix who was casually strolling around the outskirts of the space._

"_Not ready to be done for the day?" Felix's question caught me off guard, while I was tired from working with my shield, I didn't feel ready to stop practicing. I nodded my agreement._

"_Good." The blow to the back of my neck didn't even register until I was slumped on the ground, a cheerful Felix hanging over me. I raised my heel, for once glad about the high heels Heidi deemed a necessity, and slammed it into his knee. The slim heel fractured under my foot and against his skin. _

_I was up and across the room quickly, trying to outrun him. Practices had never begun like that, not with sneak attacks. Felix had a hold of my shoulders before I could get out, his fingers digging painfully into the skin. I reached my elbow back and connected it with his eye socket, struggling more as he took me to the ground, my stomach pressed against the cold stone._

"_I've thought about this in more ways than one over the years, since we started training." His knee slammed into my back as he jerked my arm towards him. I felt him breathe against the skin of my inner elbow, the one I had slammed into his face. I was hyperventilating, but I kept myself from screaming. "With you beneath me finally, it's hard to deny that you are really an enchanting creature."_

"_Fuck you." I spat. I grew up hearing it from the other guards but never had the nerve to say it aloud. His knee slammed harder and I couldn't stop the screech that came out with the last of the air in my lungs. He blew air across my elbow again, and I fought to pull it away from him._

"_It's almost a crime the way you smell, just enough vampire in you to temper the human scent." He paused again, as if waiting for someone to walk in, before sinking his teeth into my inner elbow. I fought, harder than I even thought I could, and got him off me. His teeth had left a bloody mark on me, something I had never seen before. In all my life, I'd never been cut or even bruised. Felix was sprawled on the floor, staring up at me dumbfounded, blood still smearing his lips. _

_I ran. The practice room was far gone when I finally stopped in the middle of the throne room, staring blankly at all the wide-eyed vampires that circled me. All those red eyes staring at me, focusing, taking in the blood that coated and stuck to the bite mark only seconds old, left my skin crawling in a way it never had before. It was the first time, as Aro's, Caius's, and Marcus's eyes widened before narrowing on the blood, that I truly felt the inferiority of not being completely vampire._

"_Isabella, what happened?" Heidi's voice broke the uneasy silence. _

"_It was-" I tried to find my voice, focusing on Heidi but unable to really keep her steady in my eyesight. I slumped, my knees hitting the ground as a cold band gripped my back and held my arm out. I was having trouble breathing, a fire beginning to sizzle the blood centering around my wound. I wanted to speak out and scream, but I just couldn't—not even when Felix strolled into the tense room, taking in me on the ground in Heidi and Demetri's arms and Aro hovering over me. I caught the bright smile on his face before everything rushed over me, the fire spreading painfully through my system. _

_**Present . . . **_

Felix, apparently blessed with an agile tongue, had managed to pass it off to Aro as an accident, an overstep on his part. I was out for an entire day. The venom, rather than acting as it usually would with a human, worked as a paralyzer on me. I had had a seizure and my temperature had dropped, but 24 hours later I was finally able to come out of it, no worse for wear according to Aro.

I still had the scar and a steady amount of fear of Felix, especially with his renewed interest. All he got for punishment was a week without blood, and he was no longer allowed to teach me alone, or even be with me alone.

"Isabella?" Felix's nose skimmed my ear, blowing cold air against it as he breathed. I stepped forward and away from him, aware that he wouldn't be able to follow me since Heidi was making her way towards the library.

"You'll never have me and you'll never touch me. When the chance comes, I'll be the one that ends you, no matter who stands in my way." I turned to face him finally, staring straight into his blood- shaded eyes. His mouth was puckered, and I knew he wanted to do or, at least, say something.

"Isabella, we need to be going. You've been in here for hours!" Heidi's eyes focused directly on Felix but she didn't address him, merely waiting for me to stand beside her. I smiled, never more thankful for her interference, and followed her out of the library, ignoring the harsh growling and splintering of old wooden shelves.

"I wasn't aware that he was back so soon; I thought he and Demetri would still be out hunting for the vampire. I'm sorry, Isabella." I shrugged it off, feeling the chill leave my body as we got farther and farther from the library.

"He didn't do anything too bad. I'll be fine," I said. My voice, thankfully, didn't betray me by breaking mid-sentence. We continued down the hall until we reached my room, and I realized the time; it was late, far later than I thought it would be. "I didn't know that I slept that long! Why didn't you come wake me?"

"You have time for a quick human moment, I'll be outside waiting." She slipped the heels I had taken off back into my hands before leaving me alone completely, shutting the door behind her. I hurried through all the regular rituals and was putting my shoes back on when Heidi tapped on the door. The shoes were fastened so I got up and left my room behind, following Heidi to the familiarity of the throne room.

"Isabella!" Aro's cheery cry filled the somewhat noisy throne room; he stood up to greet me, raising his arms for a hug. I smiled brightly and l slipped my arms around him, hugging for a moment before letting go. "How is the shield, my sweet?"

"Stronger than ever, Master." I motioned for Demetri to come over after asking for Aro's permission. I slipped my shield outward around him as Aro grasped his palm, waiting for his thoughts but finding nothing.

"Fantastic, absolutely brilliant." His praise filled me with warmth as my shield slipped back into place. I was proud and happy; not even Jane's glaring could ruin that for me. Aro went back to his throne as I stood in front of the three, smiling at Marcus quickly, but refusing to show the same courtesy to Caius.

"Heidi? Go get the human." My eyes flickered between Heidi and Aro at his words; no humans witnessed a Volturi meeting, at least none that were meant to leave. Karen entered behind Heidi, fidgeting awkwardly with her sweater and skirt.

"Hello, Mr. Aro."

"Karen, you really are such a lovely employee. Remember what we discussed this morning?" Karen eyed Aro nervously but nodded. "Good, then you may simply listen."

"Isabella, you have done so wonderfully with your training. Despite your youth, you are among the strongest of our guard," Aro paused before continuing. "But you have more still to learn."

"What more can there be to learn, Master? I know how to fight everything, I've been taught every-"

"_Isabella."_ Caius's hiss stopped my rising voice, and blood flooded my cheeks from the subtle reprimand.

"I apologize, Masters."

"Yes, you have learned everything of being a vampire, but you know nothing of being human," Aro continued.

"Human?" I couldn't hide my growing confusion.

"Yes, human. You know nothing about being one, how to act like one, how to walk among them. We need you to learn these things."

"So the receptionist will teach me?" I turned to the cowering human and couldn't stop the raising of my eyebrow.

"In a way, yes. She'll be there to guide you." Aro's short answers were really starting to drive me crazy. I huffed loudly, something I never did, and ignored the pointed glare from Jane. The little bitch was always glaring at me for some reason or another.

"How so?"

"We're sending you to a small town, one you won't even have to worry about being discovered in, if you learn to act appropriately, that is. Karen will be there to show you around, how to act around humans, how to truly be human. After a year," He held up a finger, stopping my planned retort, and continued. "We'll see how truly well-rounded you've become, and you will be welcomed back home with open arms."

"All I have to do is learn to be human?"

"Yes."

"How about for three months, rather than a year?"

"It will be a year."

"Six months?"

"A year."

"Nine months?" I was trying to negotiate, but it wasn't something I had done before.

"It will be a year, Isabella." I stopped at his tone and nodded, my eyes downcast to keep away the threatening tears. "You'll be leaving in the morning after Heidi provides you with the appropriate documents."

"Just like that? You're not even giving me time to say goodbye?" Caius growled over my tone but I ignored him, my frustration had reached a peak and was beginning to boil over.

"A year is barely nothing to us, Isabella. Learn what you have been sent out to learn, and when you return you will be a fully fledged member of the Volturi Guard." I nodded at Aro's words, tipped my head, and followed Heidi out of the throne room, eager to leave and lick my wounds before my apparent morning flight.

"I know you don't think so, but this is a good thing." I rolled my eyes at Heidi, wanting to be a brat for the first time in my life. I never acted out, I never went against what I was told, but I just couldn't pretend to be happy about this new order. "A year isn't long at all, especially for our kind."

"I know; I just don't understand how this is going to work. How am I supposed to just go from not being around a single human, to being confined in a school full of them for hours on end? How does Aro see this ending in anything but chaos?" I sat back on my bed, letting Heidi take over the packing. It was midnight; I had six hours left until I had to leave for the plane to Forks. I should have been sleeping, but I just couldn't get my mind to stop working.

"This is everything you will need." She handed me a folder filled with documents and I turned and tucked it into the backpack I would be carrying in the morning. "You're going to Forks, Washington. It's a tiny place and thankfully the human knows about it because she grew up in Seattle. That folder contains your birth certificate, a Washington state driver's license and ID, banking information, and the directions to the house you'll both be staying at. Everything you'll need for school is in there, so don't lose it."

"I won't." I listened to Heidi for another hour as she packed a ridiculous amount of suitcases; she didn't seem eager for me to leave. I stayed on the bed, lifting my legs up to rest on the mattress completely, and tried to keep my eyes from drifting closed. While I hadn't been tired earlier, it was slowly starting to creep up on me. I should have fed in the throne room earlier, but I was too angry. I had needed to vent, and Heidi had helped with that.

I must have dozed off because I woke up later to an extremely quiet room. It was dark outside and I was trying to remember why I had woken up when a sharp knock sounded on my newly replaced door. I murmured something; I was barely awake and started to get up. The vampire on the other side of the door had walked off, leaving me alone with the silence again. I stood up and stretched, reaching for the clothes Heidi had laid out for me and changing quickly.

I felt like I was in a bit of a haze as Heidi came in and pulled my hair back into a bun before leading me out of the room and into the throne room. It wasn't loud in there, but it wasn't silent either. All the noise seemed to be hurting my head, so I worked at tuning it out, slipping deeper into the haze that was surrounding me. I was hugged several times, several of the vampires murmuring about it only being a short year, and was led from the room. Karen was waiting in the back of a car in the darkness, and I sat beside her.

"Learn what you've been told to learn, Isabella. Don't lose that folder or your wallet; they contain everything you need." I nodded at Heidi's words. She was holding open the car door and Demetri and Felix were standing a few feet behind her. I smiled softly at Demetri, but I couldn't hide the cringe when I saw the look on Felix's face. He looked pissed, absolutely livid, over me leaving. I felt marginally better about leaving when I realized that I would have time away from Felix, away from his staring and touching. I, at least, wouldn't have that burden on my back.

I murmured goodbye again, and the door was shut. The car headed away from Volterra to the nearest airport, where a plane waited to take me to some town called Forks—a town I knew nothing about but was already starting to hate.

**I love reviews, so if you can drop a word, even if it's just good. That'd be great!**


	3. Forks, Washington

**I want to give a quick thanks to the betas over at PTB who worked to help me make this chapter better, thanks so much.**

**I don't own Twilight…**

_**Chapter 2—Coming to Forks**_

I didn't think I liked having to play human. I might be half-human, but thus far I certainly didn't like pretending to be a full-blooded one. I was parked in front of my new home with Karen, luggage-less, because apparently even vampires couldn't keep an airline from losing their belongings. It was painfully awkward in the rental car, Karen and I only speaking the bare minimum to each other since leaving Volterra.

"We can go into Port Angeles again in a few days to get you some clothes." She spared me a quick glance. "Until then, you can just borrow some of mine. We're roughly the same size," Karen said.

We were rather close in appearance. With her light brown hair and hazel eyes, we could pass as family. That was the cover we were going for after all. She was supposedly my older sister, taking care of me after our parents died in a car accident.

"Thanks," I smiled, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"I guess we should just go inside. We have to head to the high school in a little bit," Karen said.

I got out of the car and pulled my small backpack over my shoulder before following her to the front door. The house was cute from the outside, with two stories bedecked in white paneling. Compared to the October wind outside, the inside was nice and warm. Someone had set up the house for us, because it had all the essential furniture. Inside, there was a couch and loveseat in dark brown, a cream colored recliner and a flat screen.

I walked into the kitchen, and I noticed the new table and the chemical lemon scent from the cleaned counters and cabinets. None of them were stocked, but Karen promised we would go grocery shopping as soon as we were finished at the school. There were pictures on the wall, though none of them contained actual people, just pictures of landscapes.

It was all staged, beautifully done, but still fake.

"Bella, which room do you want?" Karen called from upstairs. She had slipped up there as soon as I entered the kitchen. I wasn't accustomed to the nickname. I was "Isabella" or "Isabella Marie" if Heidi was angry with me. I was upstairs before I could really process it. Slowing down my movements to a more human pace was difficult.

"You can pick first." I saw her standing in a room that faced the back of the house, its windows overlooking the backyard and trees that bordered our property. I entered the opposite room and felt calmer, more comfortable with the neutral-colored walls and folded up bedspread. The room was not big by any means, but I liked it. The full size bed took up the most space in the room, but the two windows made it feel less enclosed.

"Hey, we have to leave in a little while. Do you want me to find you something to wear, or are you okay?" Karen asked, standing in the doorway of my new room.

"I think I'm alright in this." I took in the white coat I was wearing over a pale yellow dress. Adhering to Heidi's new color palette, I was dressed in the usual Heidi-chosen outfits, dresses and skirts. Though the colors always changed, I never chose my own clothing, and I never had the desire or care to do so. Although the sun was shining, it had rained, and my flats were slightly damp.

"Are you sure?"

"Why?"

"Well . . . It's just, you sort of look like a doll or something." She looked sheepish, her cheeks turning slightly pink. It was nice knowing that I was not the only one afflicted with a constant blush, though mine was more of a tomato color than a dusting of pink.

"I'm fine for now." I headed downstairs once she returned to her own room. I walked into the kitchen, glancing around but not knowing what to do while I waited for her. I focused on the view of the open backyard, not wanting to deny the opportunity I had at that moment for freedom, I called out, "I'll be in the backyard!"

Leaving the kitchen behind, I strode out into the simple backyard. It was bright out, which was rare according to Karen. Though the wind was cold, it didn't affect me; I was too preoccupied.

I had never walked on grass before, and I took a moment to savor the feel, sound, and its fresh, dewy fragrance as it crushed beneath my feet. I only saw the outside world from the windows of my room in Volterra, and now that I thought about it, I realized how ridiculously cliché and sad it sounded.

I circled the edges of the yard, staring at the trees I passed when a scent hit me, one I knew since my birth. There was a different undercurrent to the scent though. I could smell lilac, honey, and sun in the scent.

"Ready to go?" Karen called from the screen door.

"Alright." I breathed in the odd scent one last time before going back into the house. I locked the door and joined Karen in the car.

The drive to Forks High School took no time at all, unlike the actual meeting we had scheduled with the principal. The man was nice, but his intense interest in mine and Karen's past quickly became annoying. I wanted to leave the cramped space, but Karen ignored my fidgeting. A shrill bell rang through the room, causing me to jump from my seat and slam my knee on the man's desk.

"Sorry," I murmured, turning a deep shade of red when both Karen and the principle turned toward me.

"Since the day is officially over, is it possible for Bella to have a quick tour of the school? That way she will know where all her classes are tomorrow," Karen said, taking the principle's attention off of me.

Eager to leave the room, I was thankful for Karen's suggestion. The small woman from the front desk, Mrs. Cope, was called in and happily agreed to show me around.

"Well, I have your schedule right here, Bella," Mrs. Cope said, before handing me a simple paper with a map printed on the back. "Do you want to try finding your classes on your own? Or do you want me to show you?"

I couldn't pass on the chance to be alone, even just for a little while. I left the office with the paper and map on my own. The hallway was practically empty; only a few students passed down them in a hurry.

My first three classes were easy to find once I became accustomed to the numbering of the buildings. I just found my biology classroom when I caught the same scent from earlier. It was definitely stronger, but watered down by the smell of humans. It was a vampire, probably more than one, but why they would be in a high school was beyond me. Of course, they would probably be thinking the same thing about me if they caught my scent. Although I wasn't a full vampire, I still smelled like one. The vampire scent tampered with the beating of my heart and the human quality of my blood.

At least that was how Heidi explained it.

The gym was easy to find before I headed back to the office. Though I had only been gone for fifteen minutes, I was already tired and hungry—yet another aspect of being human that I would have to get used to. Aro had tested my tolerance of human food before, when I was very little, and I hated the taste of it. The switch from blood had not been a pleasant one and was stopped after three days. I didn't have to go near it after that. Obviously, I would have to get over my aversion.

"Ready to go?" Karen asked as soon as I reentered the office. I nodded, saying the customary goodbyes to those working—many of whom had their brows raised at my outfit—before leaving the small office space alongside Karen.

"Maybe I should just borrow a few things until we can go to Port Angeles tomorrow night," I murmured. Karen agreed, and I sat back in the car, watching the trees go by as we made our way toward the grocery store.

"Have you ever, uh, eaten food?" Karen sounded nervous, refusing to look at me as we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car.

"I have, but I don't know what's good or anything. When I tried, it was pretty nasty." I wrinkled my nose in distaste, grimacing painfully. Karen laughed and seemed to relax for the first time around me.

The store was much busier than I hoped it would be. Clenching my fists, I tried not to fidget too badly when a group of students in the candy aisle glanced my way.

"It's alright. You're new. They're going to look regardless. Just walk around like you would back in Italy," she said before patting my back in a gesture of comfort.

Taking her advice, I stopped fidgeting and unclenched my fists, offering to push the cart she grabbed. I followed her as she picked out several things from the produce section before continuing to the main aisles.

She eyed the shelves, "Is there anything you want to try?"

"Not really. I don't know anything about human food. If I'm completely honest, it all sort of smells and looks disgusting to me," I said, sticking my tongue out slightly.

"Okay, well, Cocoa Krispies are the best kind of cereal. Don't listen to anyone else, Cocoa Pebbles are gross." She wrinkled her nose and flicked the Cocoa Pebbles box with her finger.

Her enthusiasm made me laugh as we went through each aisle. I questioned everything she put in the cart, but she didn't seem to mind. Karen explained the best type of Pop Tart, the miracle of Top Ramen for college students, and whether store-brand Macaroni and Cheese tasted better than Kraft's. By the time we were done, the cart was completely full.

"We should probably grab some school supplies for tomorrow. Just some essentials until we go to Port Angeles." Karen took over pushing the cart as she told me the things I would need. I grabbed some pencils, a few folders and some paper. They didn't have any backpacks, but Karen offered to let me borrow a messenger-bag she had.

Paying for the groceries was easy, especially with the card that Karen had been provided. She fidgeted as she swiped it, nervous over whether it would go through, but it did, and we put everything in the car.

Later that night, after everything was put away, and I struggled to swallow down a bowl of noodles that Karen made, I settled into my room. In Volterra, screams would echo, but rain never did. The rain hitting the roof was . . . different—loud in the quiet, tiny space. I yawned and lay back in bed, trying to ignore the constant thrumming of rain before finally letting go and passing out, snuggled in the comfortable pillows.

"Bella? It's time to get up," Karen called through my door, knocking incessantly.

I heard her approach before she knocked. While I had gone to bed early, I didn't stay asleep long. Trying to get my mind to stop working had been difficult. I couldn't stop thinking about what Heidi was doing at that moment and whether any of the guard cared that I was gone. I just stayed under the covers, watching the sky darken before it started to shine from the rising sun. The rain from the previous night was gone, and the sun shining through my window was a welcomed relief.

Karen knocked again.

I groaned, "I'm up."

I pulled myself up from bed and headed into Karen's room, thanking her when she picked out and handed me what I was going to wear for the day. This was normal for me, at least back in Volterra. Although Karen's taste was different from Heidi's. I was panicked over having to dress myself. I'd probably end up with a bunch of oddly colored, too-tight outfits. I could see how horrified Heidi would be.

"I'll get your stuff ready downstairs," Karen said, her voice traveling through my closed door. "Come down when you're finished."

I dressed quickly in black tights, a tank top, and a jacket before slipping on a red pleated skirt. My hair was a mess, but I brushed through it roughly, pulling the sides back in matching red-rose pins. Karen hadn't given me shoes, so I rushed to the bathroom and brushed my teeth before heading downstairs.

"I need some shoes," I said, entering the kitchen. Karen was stirring some coffee in a mug, a bowl of cereal slowly getting soggy in front of her. I skipped the cereal, not wanting a repeat of the stomachache I had gotten from dinner the previous night.

"I need to grab my jacket from upstairs anyway. I'll bring you something. Can you check your bag and make sure I packed everything you'll need? We'll go when I come back." She hurried upstairs, and I headed toward the messenger bag she was letting me borrow. The bag matched the color of my skirt; Red seemed to be the theme of the day.

"Here," Karen said, handing me a pair of simple black boots. "Slip those on while I warm up the car."

"I'll be out in a minute." I pulled on the boots, happy with how comfortable they were. When I got outside the air was chilly, but it was sunny, and I never truly got cold anyway. My skin was warm, several degrees hotter than a human's; it took a lot to make me cold.

The drive to school was quick, and I tried not to blush too deeply when all the students stared at us as we pulled up.

"Do you want me to pick you up after school?" Karen asked.

I thought over Karen's question for a moment. The school wasn't that far from the house, and the opportunity to get out and run—freely for the first time—was too hard to pass up. I shook my head no and got out, waving to Karen as she pulled out of the parking lot. I focused on my footsteps, staring down at my feet in desperation, the last thing I needed was to fall flat on my face in the middle of school. Knowing my luck, my skirt would probably flip over my head just to spite me.

"Is that the new girl? Tyler told me that he saw a new girl yesterday, but I can't remember what he said she looked like," A girl whispered. She was talking to two other girls near the entrance of the school; I fought to ignore them. With my hearing, it wasn't easy. I took my eyes off my feet, leveling them ahead of me, no longer ducking my head down. When the bell rang, I headed off to class, hoping that the day would go by quickly so I could have some time alone.

Wishing school would go faster didn't make it happen. The worst class was my final one—gym. While I didn't have to participate, since I didn't have the necessary clothes for the class, I still had to watch. I didn't know how to act around humans, though Karen had given me some pointers, I was still nervous.

I fidgeted every time someone stared at me too closely; I copied some of the bored movements that I had seen earlier in the day: tapping my foot, shifting my weight from side to side, and examining the ends of my hair.

Everything was awkward, and I was on edge, surrounded by the poignant smells and far too many beating hearts. I was already hungry, having accidently dumped my uneaten tray of food on a boy who cut in front of me on the way to the trashcan. His letterman jacket was stained with my greasy pizza.

I concentrated on how the rest of my day went to distract myself, and when the final bell rang, I eagerly ran out the doors. The parking lot was crowded, so I left through the side, heading for the wall of trees that lined the school property. Once I was clear from the view, I pulled off my boots and kept walking. The water on the plants soaked through my tights, it was more exhilarating than annoying.

I had only gotten the chance to really run once, and that was in a hallway in Volterra when I was still small. Aro wanted to time how fast I could run and whether I could compete with a vampire. I had surpassed them all, and Aro was overtly thrilled with the outcome.

I worked myself into a slow run—still fast by human standards—and let myself relax before gradually working up to the speed I had only dreamed of until now. I weaved through trees, leaping off fallen ones. With my fingers brushing against their foliage, I zoomed throughout the various plant life. A clearing was ahead of me, but I went to the far left, not wanting to break into the sunshine yet. My feet were completely soaked and mud-splattered up my legs onto my skirt, yet still I couldn't hold back the laugh that had been building since I had first started running.

I felt free—breathing in the smell of damp moss and sunshine—having never been given the chance to do so in Volterra. I was kept indoors, away from prying eyes, and I trained—taught everything any person or vampire could learn in every way. Freedom was what I had always been craving, though I hadn't been aware of it. I turned back toward the clearing and pushed myself faster, pulling my hair clips out.

I was only a few yards from the clearing and the sunshine when I smelled it—when I smelled _him_. The scent was a more concentrated version of what I had smelled the day before and again today, though today it had been smothered by the smell of so many humans. I stopped. My bag, which had been strapped over my neck and across my body, slapped against my side. I was only a few feet from the clearing; I could see someone in the middle, but not completely. It was definitely a vampire, but I had no idea why they didn't hear me. The hair clips slipped from my fingers, along with the boots, and I made my way into the sunshine, seeing the man fully without the interference of trees.

He was resting on his back in the grass, reading a book. I didn't pay attention to the title, but I watched as his skin sparkled in a way that gave away exactly what he was. Mine didn't sparkle, it just appeared luminescent in the light. I passed it off by saying I used a shiny lotion when a girl asked about it on our way to class earlier in the day. He still hadn't noticed me, so I kept staring, taking in the odd bronze color of his hair and the dark clothes that covered his body, leaving only his arms and face to shine in the sun. I listened to the song that was coming to an end as it filtered through his earbuds—a piano piece I recognized.

I stepped out farther into the clearing—more of a meadow—ignoring the warning bells that screamed in the back of my head. Demetri and Felix would have been pissed over how reckless I was being around an unknown vampire. His eyes finally snapped open, and I immediately froze, watching as he yanked out the earbuds and jumped up. He didn't crouch into a threatening position—which was odd—but he did stand up and stare at me, almost mirroring my own expression. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even breathe, but I refused to break eye contact.

His brows furrowed over his golden eyes—a color I had never seen before. An accidental gasp escaped me. He finally moved, but not in the threatening way I thought he would. He stumbled back, looking confused, before turning around and dashing out of the clearing and into the trees surrounding the meadow.

I stood there for a few moments, not exactly sure what to do. I tried coaxing my legs into turning and running, but they did the opposite. I walked farther into the meadow, toward the spot he had been resting, and saw the book he had dropped there.

I bent down to pick it up, it was an old book, one I had never seen nor read before: _The Haunting of Hill House_ by Shirley Jackson. I had heard of one of her other books—_We Always Lived in the Castle_—but had never gotten the chance to read it. I slipped it into my bag. I didn't know for certain whether he went to Forks High, but I took the chance and left the meadow, grabbing the boots from where I had dropped them.

When I arrived back at the house, it was empty. A note taped to the fridge let me know that Karen was in Seattle visiting family and would be back in time to take me to school in the morning. I shrugged it off. I thought we would be going to Port Angeles, I didn't mind. It was still early. I was only out in the forest for thirty minutes, but I felt tired, drained, and hungry. Figuring that my hunger came first, I poured a quick bowl of cereal.

As I ate, I thought of the book and grabbed it from my bag. It was an older edition than I originally thought, from the wear and tear on the cover and pages, I would guess that it had been read many times. Flipping through the pages, I slowly took in every detail, seeing no marks or any reference to the owner. Finding only a strip of white paper that served as a bookmark, I inhaled the wonderful scent of old paper—as well as him. I dropped it as if it was on fire. I got up and poured the remainder of my bowl down the sink before heading upstairs for a shower. I didn't want to acknowledge the book, and the fact that I wasn't as free from vampires as I had thought.

I awoke with a start, my new alarm clock blaring in my ears. I had never used one, and the insufferable thing was on the fast track to being thrown out the window. Karen was making noise downstairs, but I didn't remember her coming home. Forcing myself to get up, I rose out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning, Bella. How was your first day? Did you make any friends?"

Surprised, I paused in the doorway and cocked my head. Karen looked ridiculously excited and happy, smiling around her mug as she sipped a coffee at the table. I wondered why but brushed it off.

"I met a few people." I shrugged. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but it did seem to drag on and on."

"Welcome to high school." Karen laughed. "Now, what do you want to wear to school?"

"It may seem really odd, but I've never worn jeans before." Karen gaped, shocked by the news. But it was the truth. I had never worn jeans before. "Maybe something a little loose, too?"

"Sure."

I followed her up to her room, pausing just by the door. She pulled out a dark pair of jeans and handed them to me. Taking them, I watched as she stared into the closet before pulling out a soft, cream-colored sweater that shimmered, and that I immediately liked. It might have reminded me a little of the vampire in the meadow too. A blush broke out across my face at that thought.

"You can keep that. I got it on discount, but I've never worn it. It looks better with your coloring anyway," Karen said, smiling slightly.

"Thank you." I had been given tons of gifts, yet for some reason the sweater quickly became one of my favorites. She handed me a pair of flats that matched and a brown messenger bag. I changed in my room before pulling my hair into a ponytail. My new messenger bag was packed, and I slipped the book inside, still not sure how I would be able to return it.

"We'll go to Port Angeles tonight. I promise! Today should go by faster than yesterday. The first day is always boring." Karen was talking non-stop on our way to school.

While I would usually be annoyed with the constant chatter, I didn't mind at all. It felt good to have someone to talk to besides Heidi and the other guard members. Once Karen stopped the car, I got out and waved, hoping for the second time that the day would go by quickly.

My first two classes went by easily, much like the previous day. I talked to a girl named Jessica, who I had sat with at lunch the other day. She was nice and very enthusiastic about us hanging out some time.

It was on my way to third period that I caught the scent I was beginning to know better than anyone's—and it was even more concentrated than yesterday. He was here—though I wasn't sure exactly where—my stomach flip-flopped painfully. The feeling was new to me, but not unpleasant.

"You should really hang out with us at lunch again!"

I hadn't realized that Jessica had been talking beside me. I blushed and remembered what she was going on about before. The class had been given free time since the teacher had finished with his PowerPoint.

"Sure."

"Cool, and by the way, you'll finally get to see the Cullens," Jessica said, smiling brightly.

"The Cullens?"

"Yeah, Lauren told me that she saw them earlier today. Well, actually, it's more like the Cullens and the Hales, but anyway, they're back! Or, well, Edward's back." His name came out of her mouth on what I assumed she meant as a purr.

"Who's he?" I asked, leaning in so that I would look more interested.

"Oh, he's the hottest guy in school. Hot, but scary. He's not very interested in the girls here. Yet he sure is something to look at. Lauren asked him out last month, and he turned her down flat. She was so pissed!" Jessica laughed brightly, causing several people in the class to stare, Lauren included.

"What does he look like?" I didn't have to fake my interest this time.

"Oh, well, he's tall and has this ridiculously crazy hair. It's the weirdest color, like—" The sound of the bell cut her off, and put my stuff together and in my bag. "We'll see you at lunch, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." I waved to her before walking off, watching my feet to avoid any stares from the surrounding students.

My next class went by quickly, but it ended with me being called on by the teacher. He let me know that I was called up to the office, so I left the class early. I spotted Karen at the entrance of the office; she was smiling at me as I walked up.

"Hi, Bella. Ready for your doctor's appointment?" Karen asked, her smile nearly blinding as she stood alongside Mrs. Cope. I caught on and nodded, leaving with Karen after she signed me out.

"So what are we really doing?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her.

"We're heading to Port Angeles. I need to look for a more permanent car, and you'll need a lot of clothes. I figured it was easier leaving earlier and having too much time, than leaving later and not having enough," Karen said, shrugging her shoulders. She was still smiling at me, and I couldn't keep my own smile from reflecting hers.

"Well, I guess that works." I got into the car beside her, resting my head against the back of my seat. Karen started the car and pulled away, but not before I caught sight of a shiny silver Volvo.


	4. Cornered

**I'd like to give a big thanks to the awesome betas over at PTB: RaindropSoup and Angelz1114577.**

**I do not own Twilight, but I do own a newly broken big toe . . . such fun!  
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**Chapter 3—Cornered **

The Volvo took up most of my thoughts as we drove to Port Angeles. It was an easy drive, consisting of one highway, with nothing to distract me but green trees and pines and the occasional tiny town. When Karen wasn't asking me questions about school, I could only focus on that Volvo. It fit in with none of the students at Forks High School. Most of the cars in the parking lot were older, rusty, and in need of paint jobs. But that Volvo was so perfect and shiny, parked away from any of the other cars.

"Do you want to look for your own car?" Karen asked, drawing me out of my musing.

"Should I want my own car?" I asked, panic setting in. "I mean, I have a license, but I have no idea how to drive."

"If you don't want to drive, you don't have to drive." She shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "But if you do, I could always teach you."

"Okay, I think I'll keep away from sitting behind the wheel of a car." Not that it wasn't an interesting idea, getting to learn and drive myself; I just didn't like the lack of control. My first experience with a car had been when we drove to the airport from Volterra. Since then, every time I got in a car my stomach would flip with nerves.

"All right, but if you ever change your mind, tell me," she said as we pulled into the parking lot of large building.

"Where are we?" I asked, though I figured it would probably be a stupid question. We were supposed to go shopping, so I knew we were at some sort of place for that. I just didn't know the word for it.

"It's a department store. Pretty much anything you want to buy will be here. If they don't have it, we can always wander into the mall shops." She got out of the car, and I followed suit, walking beside her into the huge store. "I thought this would be a good place to start, but there's always online shopping, too."

"Uh . . ." I stammered, looking around the huge area after we entered through the glass doors. "Where do I start?"

"You need everything, so just start wherever you want." She shrugged as if it was the easiest thing to understand. "If you want to look at jeans, then that section is just around the escalator. If you want to look at tops or shoes, well, those sections are on either side of us."

"Oh." It seemed like such an easy notion, but I still had no idea what to do. I was shell-shocked, completely unsure of where to go first, what to buy, what I would need, even what size I was. I had never shopped for myself. I had never even_ dressed _myself. It was all a foreign concept to me. For a moment, all I wanted was Heidi to be there to help me with everything.

"Okay . . . you like the clothes you're wearing, right?" She asked, before continuing when I nodded. "Then look for things that are like them. Start with colors. What's your favorite color?"

Again my eyes widened, my cheeks burning a deep tomato red. I thought it over for a moment, trying to think of a color I truly loved. "I love blue . . . and brown. I don't really know. I'm sick of pink, though."

Karen laughed, before saying, "Well, then go on that. You like the jeans you're in, so look in that section and just grab whatever you like. We have however long it takes, so don't worry about time. If you're worried about sizing, then try it on. If you need my help, I won't be far away."

"All right," I said, feeling a little more confident. I headed for the jeans section and stared at the large collection. There were so many colors, from dark blue to light grey. I just started picking the colors that appealed to me the most, leaving the department with a massive pile of jeans in every shade they provided. I handed them off to the enthusiastic sales associate, who had been watching us since we entered the store.

From the jeans section, I walked over to the tops, feeling a little more overwhelmed. There were so many different styles, colors, and patterns. I followed the advice that Karen had given me and started sorting through the different racks. I left the tops section with another pile of clothes that were taken away by the same sales associate.

Eventually, I made it through every section, from the pajama section to the handbag section. I had everything I thought I needed. I went into the lingerie section, thinking I only wanted the two basics: white and black, but left with every color of undergarment that appealed to me. I was having fun, choosing whatever I liked and not having to make anyone happy with how I looked.

I liked darker colors, which was good because it was fall and that was mostly what the store offered. I didn't pick out a single dress, skirt, or high heel. Tennis shoes and flats took place of the heels I had grown up wearing; I didn't think I would really miss having to dress up fancy. The year in Forks would be my vacation. Dressing up to Heidi's—and Aro's—specifications wasn't necessary anymore. I just had to like the way I looked.

I finished up in the final section—shoes—checking out after getting fitted for several pairs of Converse, Vans, and flats in a multitude of colors. I was happy with what I got and was ready to return home. I felt tired from all the shopping, anxious to check out and haul everything out to the car. Karen was easy to find. She hadn't strayed far from where we had started, though she was busy flirting with one of the male employees in the electronics section.

Checking out all my items wasn't too difficult, since every time I came out of a section, one of the sales associates took my stuff away and rang it up. I didn't pay too much attention to the total as I swiped the card, stuffing the receipt into one of the bags. After Karen and I finished carrying all the bags to the car—with the aid of two carts—we headed to the rental company where we got the car from.

Since Karen was pretty happy with the car in general, she went back to sign a more permanent lease. The agreement wouldn't last past a year, since that was the obligatory amount of time I would be spending in Forks. I stayed in the front lobby as Karen went in the back before shortly returning and finding me after she finished signing all the necessary paperwork.

"Do you want to get something to eat on the way back? I'm starving." She laughed, walking alongside me back to the car.

"You can get something for yourself. I'm not hungry," I said, lying through my teeth. I was starving, but I didn't want to go anywhere near any of the fast food places we had passed on our way to Port Angeles. I wasn't adjusting to food well, and I figured that skipping it for the time being was easier.

"Are you sure?" she asked, heading toward the freeway.

"I'm all right." I rested my head back against the seat. The trip to Port Angeles had taken longer than I thought. It was already starting to get dark as we passed the Forks city limits. Karen stopped to get food at a local drive-thru, and I ignored the greasy smell of it when she pulled away toward home.

Once we got back, I went upstairs with my things and sorted through them all. When I was done, I took a quick shower before changing into a brand new pair of pajamas. I loved the soft feel of them as I curled up in bed, delaying putting on the new comforter I had bought. Though it was dark outside, it wasn't late, but I ignored that fact and fell asleep, curled around one of my pillows.

The next morning, I woke up with a new feeling of excitement. For the first time, I was actually eager to go to school. I wasn't dreading the upcoming day, or hoping that it would go by quickly.

I jumped out of bed and hopped in the shower, enjoying the way the water woke me up fully. When I got back to my room, I took care in choosing what I was going to wear for school. For the first time ever, I cared about and noticed the clothes that I would wear. It was all my decision, and I couldn't fight the giddy grin that overtook my face.

I chose a pair of jeans, liking their dark color and the way they flared slightly at the ankles. A blue plaid tank top and a gray sweater finished everything.

I greeted Karen when I padded downstairs in my bright spotted socks. They didn't match my outfit at all, which was exactly why I picked them. They were neon-colored, standing out brightly against the floor.

Heidi's eyes would probably pop right out of her skull if she ever saw them.

I sat on the couch across from Karen and slipped on my new black converse, lacing them up the way I wanted them to be. It was all ridiculous, but there was no way I would take any of the small tasks for granted.

"What are you so happy about?" Karen asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Oh," I said, not realizing that I had been smiling so much. "I guess I'm just impatient for school."

"All right, well, do you want to go now? Or do you want to have breakfast?" She stood up and carried her coffee mug into the kitchen. I finished lacing my shoes and followed her.

I caught sight of the clock on the oven, feeling my cheeks heat at the time. "I didn't realize it was that early. I just sort of got up and kept going. I'm not all that hungry."

"Oh, okay. Do you want to watch some TV?" she asked, pouring herself some more coffee. It smelled good, but I wasn't interested.

"Not really," I murmured. "I think I might go upstairs and read for a little bit. I'll be down when it's _really_ time to go."

Rushing upstairs when she nodded, I found my new backpack right when I entered my room. In a fit of boredom, I had packed it after we had finished shopping. The book was inside it, tucked in between two notebooks as if I was trying to keep it hidden from prying eyes. There were thirty minutes until I had to leave for school, so I shrugged and grabbed the book, pulling it out and flipping through it.

I sat back on my bed, turned to the first chapter, and lost myself in the world of Shirley Jackson. I was halfway through the book and completely in love with it when Karen called up to me from downstairs, reminding me of what I had been so excited about earlier.

As we were driving to school, the book sort of felt like lead in my bag. I had been eager to go to school, but I hadn't thought completely ahead. I had smelled the same scent of the man from in the clearing the other day. It was strong, meaning he had been at the school at the same time as me. But I never saw him in any of my classes, or even in any of the busy halls. I knew that I needed to return his book, yet I had no idea how to do that.

The excitement that had been making my stomach flip-flop was now turning to panic.

Karen pulled into the parking lot, unaware of the fear that was setting in on me. I could see the silver Volvo from the day before in the back of the parking lot. Without a doubt, it was his car. I don't know how I actually knew that, but something deep inside me was telling me so.

"Do you want me to pick you up today?" Karen asked.

"I think I'm going to walk home again," I said, working some sort of smile onto my face. I could see Jessica in the front of the school, talking to some of the girls I met the other day.

"All right," Karen said. Her smile came out more genuine than mine ever could. "Just remember that it's Friday."

"Oh, yeah," I said, wrinkling my nose slightly as I finally got out of the car. I shut the door and waved, turning back toward the school just as she pulled out of the parking lot. Pushing back that growing sense of panic, I walked toward Jessica and her small group of friends.

She didn't exactly look happy to see me.

"Hi, Jessica," I murmured, smiling nervously. Humans were still completely odd to me.

"Where were you yesterday?" she asked, sounding a little put out with me. "I waited for you, but you never showed at lunch."

"I'm so sorry, Jess. My sister showed up out of the blue and called me out of class." It wasn't a lie—well, except for the sister part. When the bell rang, I walked down the hall beside Jessica, listening as she talked fervently about her plans for the weekend, before we settled in our seats for English.

It was quickly becoming my favorite subject.

We were assigned a new book, one that I had never read before: _Wuthering Heights_. I grabbed my assigned copy and started reading on my own, surprised that I had never read it before. Aro usually chose what was allowed inside the library at Volterra. I was addicted from the beginning of the book and ended up reading three more chapters than the two we were assigned.

In Spanish, I promised to sit with Jessica at lunch again. I really had nowhere else to sit, and Jessica was all right for a human, a tad bit talkative, but it kept me from having to speak up. I was quickly getting used to the rhythm of my new classes, enjoying some of the things that we were doing.

Jessica and Lauren walked beside me to the cafeteria, leading the way to a table in the middle of the large room. A girl was already sitting there and I remembered her to be Angela Weber. She was actually really nice. I placed my things down and grabbed a tray, covering it with another slice of pizza and a bottle of pink lemonade.

"So, Bella, what brought you to Forks?" Jessica asked as soon as I sat back down at the table. My eyebrows rose slightly in wonder, amazed with how blunt she was being. I had only really known her for a little over a day.

"My sister made the decision," I murmured, trying to appear upset. "Our parents died in a car accident a couple of years ago. I was a freshman in high school and she was in college. After she graduated she moved us here."

"Why Forks, though?" Jessica asked. Her head was resting on her hand as she looked at me.

"We used to camp here when we were little. She wanted to live somewhere with the good memories, not the sad ones." My eyes were glued to the pizza in front of me as I picked the slice apart.

"Oh, how sad!" Jessica murmured, before quickly turning away from me and starting up a conversation with Lauren. She was a fickle human.

"So how are you liking Forks?" Angela asked, drawing my attention away from the ripped up pizza on my tray.

"It's different, but I think I can like it," I said, being as honest as possible. I had been so strongly opposed to the whole idea of living in Forks, but now I was actually excited about the possibilities of it. It was hard to think that it had only been a few days since I had left Volterra.

"Cool. Are you thinking about joining—"

"Oh my God, Bella!" Jessica's hyper whisper cut off Angela. "Edward Cullen is staring at you!"

"What?" I turned to where her eyes were trying to direct me, and caught sight of _him_ sitting at a table across the cafeteria. It was him, from the meadow, same messy bronze hair and oddly golden eyes. He was staring at me, but it wasn't the look of curiosity that Jessica thought. With his golden eyes under furrowed eyebrows, the look came across as open hostility.

Normally I would blush, but with the look he sent my way, all the color bleached from my face. Jessica was still whispering to me, and I was responding with the bare minimum, though I didn't hear anything she said. I knew that he could hear everything that was being said at the table, every giggle and sigh. I was painfully embarrassed over the fact that I was so unaware of my surroundings, completely missing when he and his group walked into the cafeteria.

I skimmed through the rest of lunch, not paying attention to anything other than the actions at his table. None of them spoke. The two girls and two guys who sat with him were completely silent. There was a growing tension that I tried to ignore while I answered anything Jessica asked me with clipped words and phrases. I was failing at being a human at the one moment it truly counted.

The bell rang sharply through the crowd of students, causing many to start talking more wildly. My few belongings that I had taken out over the course of the lunch were jammed back in to my bag haphazardly. Papers were crinkled and bent as I jumped from my seat, practically running from the room. I left a wide berth around their table, not raising my eyes from the ground.

I was an idiot—a complete fool to think I could act human, after spending my entire life in the presence of vampires. I was thrown off my game, my stomach sinking down to my toes. All I wanted to do was leave the suddenly cramped school. I had thought that it was a possibility that he went to the high school, but I had never gone into what I would do if he actually _did._ Now I was screwed and actually thinking of begging Aro to let me come home.

I was one of the first students to arrive in my Biology class, leaving me a little time to collect myself. I probably looked completely panicked. My cheeks were stained a painful red, and I was gasping for breath.

I found the seat I had claimed my first day of school and settled in to calm myself down, breathing slowly and working myself out of the frenzy I had been caught up in. The more students that came into the room, the calmer I became, regulating my breathing and getting my blush down to a more normal shade.

"Hey, Bella!" a boy named Mike said, smiling brightly at me.

He was the boy I had accidently dropped my pizza onto, staining his expensive-looking lettermen jacket. I smiled at him, not quite sure why he was just standing there, shifting from foot to foot.

"Oh, yeah, I was just dropping these off from yesterday." He set a small stack of papers in front of me. "They're the notes that you missed. I thought I'd just let you borrow them for however long you need." He smiled nervously. "If you, uh, need any help understanding, I'd love to help you out."

"Oh," I murmured, my hand moving away from where they had been touching the sheets of paper. I had no idea how to deal with teenage boys. I had no idea how to deal with boys in general. "Thank you."

"Well, I'm sitting over—"

"Newton." My head snapped up at the sound of his voice. It was velvet and sent a shiver down my spine. Though he had addressed Mike, his eyes were on me.

"Cullen," Mike said, probably trying to sound fierce but failing miserably. He left quickly after that, leaving the chair beside me open for Edward to sit down.

The next hour was probably the worst hell I had endured since suffering through the effects of venom.

I was tense through the entire class, sitting on the very edge of my seat. I didn't want to speak or move until the class was truly over and I could hide away in Gym. Edward seemed just as tense as I was; his hands were clenching the fabric of his jeans by his knees, his fingers looking like they were about to rip through. At least I wasn't the only one affected.

Just before the bell was set to ring, I reached inside my backpack, panicked over the idea of what I was about to do. I gripped his book and placed it in front of him just as the bell rang and echoed loudly in the classroom.

I was gone in an instant, not looking at him until just before I left the room. My last view was of him sitting at the table, one hand clenched in his hair and the other softly touching his book. His slightly darkened eyes had risen to mine at the last instant.

I didn't even have a prayer at cooling the heat in my cheeks as I finally found my way toward Gym.

I was being watched.

Though I was sure that I wasn't supposed to be aware of it.

The vampire in question reminded me of Heidi in a way, though I wasn't sure why. She was outrageously beautiful and didn't fit in with any of the students who surrounded her. She stood at the back of the court, none of her fellow group members paying her any attention or going out of their way to include her in the game of volleyball.

I was in the court beside hers, struggling not to hit the ball too hard. Mike was playing beside me, barely letting me get a hit in edgewise after my last two failed attempts at launching the ball over the cursed net. The first attempt the ball went sailing twenty feet into the concrete gym wall, popping on impact. I had struggled to pass it off as some odd accident. The second attempt ended with the ball rolling under the net after my rather sad hit.

Mike was showing off, and I was covertly regarding the blonde vampire in the same way she was with me. I had the upper hand though; I knew exactly what she was and she had no idea what I could be.

I clued back in on the game, watching as a ball came fluidly over the net and straight toward me. I readied my stance, balling my hands into one fist, and thought I was ready to hit it. What I wasn't ready for was Mike to make an ass out of himself.

Seeing the ball coming toward me, he had decided to cut me off and knock it back over. What he hadn't counted on was his untied shoe laces. He lunged forward, catching me off guard, and made a pass for the ball. His feet tangled in his loose lace, sending him right into the ground, knocking me over in the process. I landed on my ass, and he landed on his knee, slamming the bare flesh into the hard gym floor.

I caught the scent instantly because I was so close to him, and lost control of myself. The blood smelled so perfect, something I had been missing the last few days. The smell reminded my long-empty stomach that I was hungry, and the burning began in my throat instantly. I pulled myself on my hands, moving closer to him when _she_ approached.

She was close, _too_ close to _my_ prey. I was starving and completely willing to fight her over him. In less than a second, she knelt down to my level and met my eyes with her own dark ones. I let loose a growl, the hair on my neck standing up.

I would fight her over him. I knew exactly how. There was no way I would lose. The growl ripped from my throat, my eyes dilating from the honeyed scent of the blood. There were too many threats to my meal, too many pounding hearts.

She knelt down beside me, her eyebrow arching in challenge. I continued the low growling, watching the bright liquid leak over his pale skin. I couldn't fight it anymore. I was hungry, and there was no way she would stop me. I pressed forward, only to have something collide with the side of my head, cutting me off from my intended course. Black spots clouded my vision, blinding me from the sight of the blood, but not the smell.

The only sound I could make was a pained whimper as I crumpled to the side. The cold wood of the gym floor rested against my warm cheek as I lost my self to the overwhelming darkness, wanting so badly to fight for that wonderful scent.

"Damn it, Rosalie! Did you have to hit her so hard? What if she was really human? You could have killed her!" His voice echoed in my ears, weaving its way through the increasing pounding in my head. I struggled to hold on to his voice, having it pull me out of the dark.

"Oh, stop your hissing, Edward. I took a chance, and look, she's fine. Besides, no human would _ever_ react that way! She was already in hunting mode, and if I hadn't done something, she would have killed Newton in the middle of the gym!" I heard her speaking and wanted to hiss at her. My damn head hurt, and I wondered what the hell she had hit me with.

"You got lucky," Edward hissed.

"Edward, once you got there, I showed you exactly what I saw. There was nothing else I could do. I did exactly what I had to in order to stop her." She spat. She left the room soon after, only the rustle of her clothes giving away her movements.

I opened my eyes, wincing from the overhead lights and the crackling of the paper beneath my back. Edward was sitting across from me, taking up the small bed on the other side of the room. I assumed that I was in the nurse's office based on the subtle smell of peroxide and cleaning fluids.

"What the hell did she do to me?" I asked, my hands reaching up to cup the side of my aching head. It felt like I was trying to hold it on. I tried to think on what the vampire, Rosalie, had said about showing Edward what she saw, but put it out of my mind, the pain dulling down my thought process.

"She elbowed you in the temple." I just stared at him after he spoke, not sure how to respond exactly. He still looked tense, but not as tense as he had been in Biology. "She thought you were going to eat Newton."

"Oh," I murmured, my face heating to a bright tomato red. I wanted to hide, feeling too exposed to him with the red stain on my cheeks. Edward seemed to take it in, his eyes moving over every inch of my face, only making me turn a deeper shade of red.

"The whole exchange was only twelve seconds long; none of your classmates noticed anything. In case you were worried," he said, answering my unspoken question.

"Thank you," I whispered, letting my hair fall forward over the sides of my face. The blush just seemed to be getting worse the longer I was near him.

"How can you blush so deeply when—" He stopped himself abruptly just before the nurse walked into the small space.

"Hi, Miss Swan. Can you tell me what exactly happened today?" she asked, smiling at me in a way that was meant to be encouraging.

"I don't handle blood well . . . it sort of makes me faint." I looked over at Edward before continuing. "When I saw Mike start bleeding, I just couldn't handle it."

"Oh, well, Mr. Newton is just fine, only a few minor scrapes. Your sister should be here soon. We called her just after you came in," she said, taking a seat at the small desk in the room. "Mr. Cullen, can you take Miss Swan to the gym to collect her belongings?"

"I'm all right, really. I can do it on my own," I stammered, feeling completely ridiculous.

"Yes, ma'am," Edward said, smiling brightly at the woman.

I had never seen him smile before, and it left me a bit dumbfounded. I got up, grumbling slightly when it felt like my head was going to roll right off my neck, and left the office completely. I could hear Edward behind me, but didn't pay him any mind. I was flustered, confused in a way that I had never felt before. Even with Felix and all his constant tactics.

"Do you plan on freaking out any human that stumbles upon us? If not, then you might want to slow down." His voice traveled from behind me, not loud in the empty halls.

His criticism irked me, but I ignored him. I slowed to a more human pace, irritated that he had somehow gotten under my skin. Edward caught up, not so much walking, but strolling alongside me. I didn't speak to him, too worried over what might come out of my mouth. He just stayed beside me, right until we got to the girls' locker room.

"You can probably go now," I murmured, but he just stayed in front of me. "I'll be fine."

"The nurse said to take you to get your belongings," he said, speaking slowly as if I was easily confused. I wanted to stomp my foot and hit him in the stomach, but I didn't.

"Well, I'm at the gym, so you did your job." I rolled my eyes slightly, shifting nervously. He still didn't budge, but stayed standing over me.

"Yes, but what if you get hurt again?" he asked, managing to look innocent, like he just wanted to make sure I was okay.

"I won't, I promise. Now, can you please just go?" I asked, hoping he would finally leave.

He didn't. He just stayed there, raising an eyebrow to me. I huffed loudly before continuing, "Fine, I'll be out in a minute."

I disappeared inside the locker room, refusing to look at his smug face. I didn't know him. I barely even talked to him, but he got under my skin. I changed out of my gym clothes quickly, pulling on my regular clothes before stomping out of the locker room and right past Edward.

"So what are you?" he asked. It was a blunt question; one I wasn't sure how to answer.

"Human?" I said, though it came out as more of a question. I hadn't thought into what exactly to do in a situation like this. I wasn't even supposed to be around any vampires. I didn't know how to dodge him, so I just continued to walk.

"Not exactly," he murmured, looking frustrated. I peeked over at him, fascinated with the way his eyebrows furrowed over his butterscotch eyes. They had been golden the day before, but since then they had darkened slightly. They were so oddly different.

"Well, I am." I probably sounded a little petulant, but he put me on edge.

"What's your favorite food?" he asked out of the blue, throwing me off guard _again_. I stopped walking for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"I don't really have one," I mumbled, struggling to sound confident.

"Do you eat food?" He wasn't beside me anymore, but in front of me again, blocking my view of the rest of the hall.

"Yes."

"Then name a favorite." He continued, refusing to let go of the subject despite how much I tried to plead with my eyes.

"I—uh, I don't know." I stopped staring at him and glared at the floor, focusing on the white linoleum under my feet.

"What do you love to do?" he asked. He felt so _close_, despite the two feet of space between us.

"I love to run." I spoke honestly; it was my favorite thing to do since coming to Forks.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked, moving forward a quarter of an inch.

"I don't have one." His questions were pissing me off.

"Where did you grow up?" His voice was still coming out in a lazy drawl, not worried at all over the confusion they were bringing out in me.

"I—uh, well . . . " I had learned the answer to that question, but was too confused to say it. He had moved forward another two and a half inches, taking up too much space for my liking.

"What's your favorite music?" he asked, sounding more determined than before.

"Stop," I gasped, feeling as if I was suffocating on his smell the closer he got to me.

"What do you do in your free time?" While before his voice had been determined, now it just seemed softer, warmer. It confused the hell out of me.

"Stop it," I snapped, finally bringing my eyes up to his.

"What's your favorite show on TV?" He moved forward some more, but I refused to step back. We had a foot of space between us, but it felt like even less.

"Isabella!" Karen's voice was a thankful interruption.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, taking my eyes from his and focusing on Karen.

"A human would know these things." His voice had no edge at all now, and he turned with me to look at Karen. I remembered Rosalie's words from earlier, and it all clicked for me—he could hear thoughts, or something to that affect.

"I _am _human." I spat, at the same time reaching out with my shield and covering Karen, hoping he hadn't heard anything too incriminating. I took in his reaction once my shield snapped into place over Karen, cutting her off from him. His eyes widened for a moment before looking back over at me.

"Not completely." He had hit the nail on the head, and the blush that stained my cheeks was my tell. He gave me one last look before leaving, nodding to Karen on his way into the parking lot.

"Who was that?" Karen asked, her voice coming out breathy. She had lived around vampires for a while; she must have had some clue as to what he was.

I thought over what she said for a moment, replaying everything he had said to me, the way he had crowded in on me. "I have no idea."

Whatever he was, I was completely lost on him.


End file.
